Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions to Promote Positive Psychology Among Nurses: An Umbrella Review
TL;DR
The pooled results showed that MBIs reduced negative psychological outcomes, including burnout, stress, anxiety, and negative affect, and enhanced resilience, well-being, mindfulness, and self-efficacy at the 3-month follow-up.
Abstract
Resilience interventions, such as mindfulness, have been identified as effective strategies for reducing burnout and enhancing well-being. However, the burgeoning body of heterogeneous literature has yielded diverse evidence regarding the effectiveness of resilience interventions for nurses' psychological health. This umbrella review aimed to assess the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in promoting nurses’ positive psychology in nursing clinical practice. It utilised meta-analysis and overlap analysis, integrated with positive psychology theories, including the PERMA model (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment) and the Broaden-and-Build Theory. We searched the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Scopus and included systematic reviews published from inception through September 2025. Reviews were included if they: (1) involved nurses who provided direct nursing care, (2) assessed the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on any positive and negative psychological outcomes, and (3) involved randomised controlled trials and provided quantitative data. Seven systematic reviews were included. The pooled results showed that MBIs reduced negative psychological outcomes, including burnout, stress, anxiety, and negative affect, and enhanced resilience, well-being, mindfulness, and self-efficacy at the 3-month follow-up. These MBIs mainly included stress reduction, mindfulness and relaxation, emotion regulation, compassion and gratitude, yoga, mindful breathing, cognitive training, and body scanning. However, current evidence primarily supports short-term benefits, and evidence beyond 3 months remains limited and of low certainty. Therefore, conclusions regarding the long-term effectiveness of MBIs remain provisional. Ongoing support or booster sessions may be required to maintain potential benefits, and further high-quality research with longer follow-up is warranted.